Throughout the month of January, there has been an assortment of interesting headlines to take interest in when you like to learn about the changes that have taken place in the past. A great way to learn about life before our time is to take heed to the finds and discoveries that archeologists and other researchers dig up. In this article, we will take a look at some of the dinosaur and fossil news that have decorated some of the headline in January 2007.
Giant Lions, Kangaroos and Wombats Once Existed
In January, evidence surfaced regarding some of the creatures that roamed Australia in the past. It was suggested that huge lions and kangaroos once called the outback their home before humans discovered the power of fire and killed them off. The lions were actually marsupials just like kangaroos today. According to scientists, these critters measured as tall as trucks at this time.
During this time, it was also suggested that rhinoceros-sized wombats also existed. In Southern Australia, caves located in the Nullarbor Plain offered a look into the past, as some of the best collections of fossils were uncovered. These now-extinct animals were believed to have lived thousands of years ago.
Dino With Biplane Wings Precedes Wright Brothers Vision
When the Wright Brothers created the design for their biplane, they probably didn’t know that something that lived 125 million years before their time possessed the same mechanics. New information hailing from a study on one of the earliest examples of feathered dinosaurs is making waves. Researchers believe that these prehistoric critters may have displayed both the same sort of upper and lower sets of wings appeared in the same way as the biplanes that made strides in early aviation. The ancient version of these wings allowed the feathered dinosaur to glide from treetop to treetop.
Missing Link Offers New Details on Early Egg-Laying Critters
Many researchers that deal with the history and ways of dinosaurs are quite interested in the way they procreated, lived, and aged. This month, it is believed that a missing link pertaining to dinosaur growth has been uncovered. A group of spherically-shaped fossils have been found. The fossils, which look much like very small baseballs will be use to study the evidence associated with the earliest known egg-laying organism. The most pressing question might be answered through this find, which involves how it moved from an embryo and reached adulthood.
New Discoveries Pertaining to Early Human Migration
When an ancient skull residing in South Africa was found this month, along with some interesting artifacts, it got researchers really thinking about the migration patterns of humans. The carved tools and other ornamental objects were of Russian stock, and will be used to build conclusions about the way modern humans migrated from Africa to other parts of Europe.